The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-04-30

Photograph
About the middle of February signs OF
spring began to show themselves in that
genial climate. Grass became green, peach
trees blossomed, bees came out and birds
came around. Sitting on the upper front
porch ono day and looking toward the
river not many rods away, two or three
gun-boats were seen to approach the little
village of Hopelale, just opposite Memphis
on the Arkansas shore; they did not land,
but pretty soon turned away and took
pc iition in the middle Of the river from
which point number OF shells were
thrown into the village ana soon Hopedale
was in flames.
1t seemed this place had been sort Of
rallying point for gEeriltaS, baShwhdchers
and other irregular Confederate soldiers
and to stop their incursl0ns had been
ordered burned, after, OF course, hrst
warning the inhabitants. All this the
writer remembers reading in Memphis
daily of tho time, and an editorial upon 1t
wound up with the words: poor Hope
dale"-war's fortunes for the time con
vertel it into HopeieSs-dale.
Not far from the Arkansas shore, III the
river, were the spars and rigging OF the
sunken General Beauregard, "a Confederate
VeSSpl lOSJ Ill ltle naval Utllle USlOTc
phis in June, 1862
As the beautiful weather of spring APP
preached in leisure hours most enjoyable
walks were taken about the city. No
where was the soft spring air more pleas
ure-giving than in a little park near the
business part of the city name forgotten
In this was statue of General jackson,
having engraved upon the marble pedestal
h, no "a
eral Union--it must and shall be pre-
served"
This patriotic sentiment was too much
for the eyes of some miserable vandal, and
the word Federal" had been obliterated
with chisel or other sharp tool.
The writer remembers frequent attend
ance at an Episcopal church in the city.
The pastor had but one eye and was very
plain man in appearance, but was an able
preacher. Here the writer first saw Gen.
eral J. b. Mcpherson. His division was al
the time encampci near the city, and he
improved the opportunity for attendance
at church which is said TO be favOrite
denomination with regular army officers.
His handsome person, graceful carriage
and affable manners are well remembered
In the early part of the winter great
city Most Of tn Sc were later moved 10
the vicinity of Vicksburg. While Sher-
man was making direct attack on Vicks-
burg by the river in December, 1862, Grant
was moving ~ cooperating force through
the Interior but the capture of his supplies
ut Holly Springs, Dec. %, caused an aban'
donment OF the cooperating enterprise
Grant was seriously censurei at the time
by many in his own department, and the
writer remembers vigorously defending
him ut this period from the charges OF
drunkenness, incompetancy, etc, made by
fsllow solder. II turn ID out that the
and1nment of the lin intended to be
occupied by the cooperating column was
fortunate, as the subsequent flooded condi
ton of the streams would have made the
escape of the command next to imposs! re.
About the time Grant withdrew from
this limo there was much fear Of an at
tack at Memphis from the Confederates.
One day "a comrado came running in tt
quarters saying General Bragg was just
without the city with an army OF ten thou.
sand men and had demanded its surrender,
The writer was at that time in the ranks,
and like nearly all soldiers often played al
cards for pastime. At this very juncture
he had in his breast pocket q long used
pack of cards, and of course they were
dirty and much soilel. One of the first
things he did was to remove these, for how
would it sound should he fail in battle to
have it said; "ln his breast pocket was
found"-not the Bible his mother handed
him upon lcavin; home and babe him al
ways carry in his knapsacA, nor yet the
picture OF his afIiancol-' but, but d'cko
cGrdSn
We'll, the carls were removed, but the
writer didn't fall, didn't, indeed, have a
chance to, TO. General Bragg didn't come
near, nor ask the surrender Of the city.